Chapter 11 : The tears of an island(7)
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sorry for the delay it took me so much time to write this chapter
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For days, the plaza was filled from across the land, eager to submit their signatures for Otohime's cause. But for the goldfish mermaid she was about to have a serious discussion with the oldest male siblings in her family.
"It was that moment," She began, "that I found the courage and assurance in myself that this country can truly change."
"That moment?" Fukaboshi asked.
"Yes, that day, when the Sea Kings peered into the island." Otohime clarified for them.
"Ah, yes! That certainly was a surprise!" Manboshi chirped up.
"It was Shirahoshi who called them, you know."
"Eh?"
Seeing their shocked faces the queen let out a soft giggle before reaching her right hand out to caress a passing fish, "We merfolk have the ability to understand the hearts of the ocean's fish, and to communicate with them, yes? But no mermaid has been able to communicate with those gigantic Sea Kings. That is beyond even your father, Neptune…the only person on this island able to communicate with whales. However, according to the records of the Royal Family…Once in every few centuries, a mermaid is born with the ability to understand and communicate even with the mighty Sea Kings."
"A mermaid who is able…to speak with Sea Kings." Fukaboshi crossed his arms over his barrel chest and reflected on what his mother was saying to them, while his other two brothers shouted in awe.
"And you're saying that's Shirahoshi mother?" Asked the shocked Manboshi.
"Wow! Amazing! I'd love to be able to on a Sea King's back on day!" Followed Ryuboshi.
"The same can be said for Naruto." Otohime continued to say, "Just like Shirahoshi every few hundred years a fishman is born with a great power within him. But unlike your sister who can communicate with Sea Kings, Naruto has the raw power of a Sea King."
"Raw power of a Sea King!" Manboshi's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he heard that.
"That is correct. Not only does he have their strength, anger and ferocity, but also a powerful alpha aura that would make even the most ferocious creatures submit to him. According to legend that is these two will meet a person to direct them onto the right path, and once the time came they would combine their powers to change the world."
"Our little Naruto and Shirahoshi changing the world!" Ryuboshi squeaked out in surprise. "Then maybe it'll help what you're trying to do, mother."
"I feel certain of it." Otohime smiled at them. "The power of love can save the lives of thousands if the will is strong enough. However is used wrongly, the power that those two hold is great enough to sink the world beneath the tides. They aren't aware of their abilities, and if anything were to happen to send the two of them into a panic or anger, like what you three saw that day, it is possible that in their current states, that they would both go on a mighty rampage."
"If they did that, then Fishman Island would be completely destroyed! What should we do, mother?" Ryuboshi asked.
"For the moment, I will do everything in my power to ensure that never happens. But I ask that you, my sons, grow to become fine warriors. And use that strength to protect them with your lives!"
"Of course mother! We will not fail you!" the three mermen bellowed out their promise.
But then on that exact same day, it happened. Suddenly, and without warning. The tens of thousands signatures caught fire. The entire plaza was in chaos, soldiers were frantically trying to save every piece of paper they could. Otohime, who brought her children to witness the fruits of her labor, was calling out for water.
A loud bang soon echoed throughout the area, several of the guards all too familiar with the sound of gun fire looked towards the source, for the shooter and if anyone was hit. The Minister of the Right brought is eyes towards the queen, to his horror he saw her clutching her bleeding chest and collapse to the ground. "Queen Otohime has been shot!"
"Where's the shooter! Who was it!" Aladdin barked out.
"There's a sniper lurking in the vicinity! Protect the Royal Family at all costs!" Jinbe barked out orders to several knights that were standing by him.
"Mother!" Fukuboshi yelled in shock. His brother's followed with similar shouts.
Shirahoshi was dead silent. Her eyes wide agape and her mouth frozen, her young pre-adolescnet mind still trying to wrap what has just occurred.
As the Minister of the Right cradled his queen in his arms and barking for a medic, Naruto was the first to reach her wounded body. His blue eyes already spilling tears down his face and his hands clutching her right hand that was stained with her freshly spilled blood. Even as his siblings crowded around her.
"Mother!" yelled the brothers save for Naruto, who still remained silent as his adoptive younger sister.
Otohime's eye's were half shut, as she drew deep breaths to help sustain her lungs.
"Queen Otohime!" Yelled out the civilian bystanders.
As Shirahoshi remained rooted, catatonic. A figure walked up to her. "Well well well, isn't this quite a ruckus." The figure, Vander Decken, raised his right hand, and placed it on Shirahoshi's lower left arm. "Quite a terrible predicament. Don'tcha agree? Princess?"
A nearby guard spotted Decken and raised his pistol. "Who are you! Stay away from the princess scum!" He fired, but missed as the four legged fishman scampered away.
"Mother are you alright?" Wailed the oarfish merman.
"We'll get you to a hospital in no time! Hang in there!" Assured Manboshi.
Fukuboshi was different thoughts as he released a low threatening growl. "Who could have done this!" And his face contorted to one of anger and fury, his teeth bared. "I'll make them pay! I'll make them pay!"
Beside the slowly dying queen, the adoptive son of the Royal Family was slowly breathing in an out. His teeth were clenched and bared, and although his hair covered his eye's, they were slowly being covered by a shade of red. Yet he did not clench his mother's hand tighter, despite some veins bulging within his arms.
Yet Otohime raised her hands, one onto Fukuboshi's trident, the other to cup Naruto's cheek.
"Stay by my side…my angels…and please wipe those horrid looks off your faces…"
"Your Majesty…You need treatment!"
"I let my guard down…I was just…so happy…to finally have all those signatures…I did not…" She gave a wheeze. "Fukuboshi…Naruto…if there is anyone who…should be bitter…it should be me, not you…"
Yet despite her plea, Naruto could not listen to her, her voice becoming faded. He did not know it, but his slowly rising fury was clouding him. He did not listen to his two brother's wails, but through his hair he saw his sister.
The same sister who annoyed him on hours end with creating flower crown, hugs, and giggles…About to burst in agonizing tears.
"M-Mother…" Somehow the blonde tiger shark could hear her, even if his fury distorting his hearing, and as if on que, his hearing slowly began to return to him. Manboshi and Ryuboshi turned towards her, then back to Naruto's slowly reddening eyes and bulging veins and saw that she was about to begin to lament, and remembered.
"If anything were to happen to send the two of them into a panic or anger, like what you three saw that day, it is possible that in their current states, that they would both go on a mighty rampage."
And Shirahoshi and Naruto screamed. But the latter's sounded more like a roar filled with sorrow.
"Shirahoshi! Naruto! Wait!"
But suddenly their screams cut short, Shirahoshi's tear filled eye's slowly reopening and Naruto's widening in shock.
Two of his adopted brothers…they were…with tears clouding their vision and runny noses…
"AKKAMAMBO! AKKAMAMBO! LOOK LOOK NARUTO! EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT! AKKAMAMBO AKKAMAMBO! HEY HEY SHIRAHOSHI EVERYTHING'S AS COOL AS NIGHT! AKKAMAMBO~! IT'LL BE OKAY! EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT WHEN YOU MAMBO-DANCE OH YEAH~!" Shouted Manboshi at the top of his lungs, dancing and singing, even as he continued to shed his tears.
"AHHHH, WHAT FUN SUCH FUN! NOTHING CAN BE WRONG! NARUTO SHIRAHOSHI LET US SING THIS SONG! THE FOUR OF US ARE ALWAYS WITH YOU BOTH LA-TI-DO!"
"Young princes!" Shouted the Minister of the Left. "What on earth you-"
Shirahoshi stopped her tears, and Naruto brushed his hair back, revealing his blue and red eyes. Not reddened by the power of the Sea King within but with tears. His mouth agape. His much bigger sister was clamped shut.
"Someone stop the princes! The trauma has made them gone mad!" Yelled the Minister of the Right, as knights and guards gathered around and tried to hold them down.
"WATCH ON MOTHER! EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT!" People couldn't tell if Manboshi was shouting, more like wailing even as his visage stilled contained that strained smile.
"SIBLINGS STICK TOGETHER THROUGH AND THROUGH! TO PROTECT THAT WE DO LA-TI-DO!" Ryuboshi was having as much as a hard time as his fellow brother, looking up in order to avoid looking at the slowly growing pool of blood at his mother's side.
Shirahoshi continued to sob, not on the level as before. She gazed in amazement at her brothers.
"You…two…you are…" Muttered the blond tiger shark as tears wept from his own eyes. 'How…can such people contain such great strength, even in a situation such as this?'
Fukuboshi had similar thoughts, as he silently sobbed, yet his gaze held nothing but the highest of admiration towards his brothers.
"Stop this at once! Can't you see the condition her Majesty is in."
And Naruto gazed down and gasped. His adoptive mother, the Queen of Ryugyu Kingdom…was giving the most happiest smile he has ever seen her bear. Naruto saw Otohime's green eyes staring into his blue ones, a smile on her face even though she was so wracked with pain. Gently squeezing his hand within hers as if to tell him not to worry he saw the life leave her eyes.
"No…no, not again. Please God not her. Anyone…anyone but her…" He whispered out in denial. Otohime reopened her eyes, and placed two fingers and lips and gave a kiss, then placed those fingers onto Naruto's own as he gasped. She gave another smile. Naruto could hear his older brother. Claiming how they will all grow up to become strong warriors, recollect the signatures, and protect Shirahoshi with their lives.
The tiger shark couldn't agree more.
"We are…so close!" Otohime whispered. "I know…that all of you…can reach the light of the sun!"
All of the bystanders and pedestrians began to weep, as did the Ministers. But not the Royal family, who connected their fingers.
"THEY KILLED HER!" He heard a voice echo over the plaza. Looking upwards Naruto saw none other than Hody Jones, holding by the neck in his powerful right hand was a human. "A HUMAN KILLED OUR QUEEN!"
Xxx
One the day of Queen Otohime's funeral, when everyone thought that things couldn't get any worse, it unfortunately did. A letter was sent to Shirahoshi, not by mail, or even a delivery fish, no it flew straight through the castle walls. When the princess showed it to Neptune, it was discovered to be a love letter of all things! Seeing that it was from Vander Decken, Neptune forbade the children from attending his wife's funeral for the fear of another assassination attempt.
That was why they were standing in front of a camera dressed in black funeral tuxedos. Prince Fukaboshi being the most charismatic of the siblings giving his speech about inheriting his mother's will.
"Before she died, my mother said that the real 'sun' is within sight. Maybe our hearts won't make it in time for the Reverie due in two years. But there's another one in six, and another in ten years. We decided that we will inherit our mother's will, even if it takes up our whole lifetime." Pausing for a bit the first son let his words sink in to the mourners watching the broadcast. "Some of you probably changed their minds because of this incident. We will destroy the remaining signatures! We will start again, from scratch. And one day…when everybody's hearts are healed let's dream of the 'sun' once again!"
It would be later in the day when Jinbe met with Naruto. As the Shichibukai peered down at the tiger shark fishman who held the power of the Sea King, he saw the boy's eyes. No longer were they the bright and shining blue orbs that he remembered, they were the eyes of a broken man who lost everything. And Jinbe couldn't help but feel for him, not only did he lose his real parents at a young age, but after enduring the harsh reality of the Fishman District, being adopted by the Royal Family and then losing the person who treated him no differently than her own children…honestly Jinbe didn't want to see anyone who looked good after what he experienced.
"Boss Jinbe…I have a favor to ask you." Naruto whispered out. Looking straight at the whale shark fishman he clenched his fists. "I ask…no I beg you to take me as your pupil."
Not at all surprised at the request the former Captain of the Sun Pirates kept his stoic features and looked down at the boy.
"Are you sure Naruto-kun? If I were to take you as a pupil you will be thrust head long into the ugly truth of the world, whatever innocence you have now will be taken from you. Destroyed. I will take you, but I will demand one-hundred percent commitment from you if you are to master the ways of Fishman Karate, but the question is are you ready for this?" The tiger shark hid his eyes behind his hair as he held his head down.
"My innocence was destroyed years ago and I don't care what happens to me now." Naruto replied. "A madman has targeted my sister…I can't protect her…I can't protect anyone as I am now. I'm ready for anything you throw at me. So please…" He raised it back up, determined eye's blazing. Jinbe nodded.
"Then so be it."
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